Dinner at Onodera's
by Tentai.t
Summary: Sequel to Dinner at Takano's. Onodera makes dinner for Takano on his birthday. Lemony Fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you very much to everyone who's read, followed, favorite'd, and especially reviewed my first fic, **_**Dinner at Takano's**_**. As promised, here is the first chapter of this 3-chapter sequel. I hope you all like it.**

**A very, very special thank you goes out to Cerberus Revised, who has once again added his subtlety and grace to my passable efforts. Sensei, know that you are loved.**

**To Takano Masamune, the object of this fujoshi's schediaphilia: Happy, happy, birthday.**

**The characters of Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi are property of Nakamura Shungiku.**

**Rated M for profanity and adult/sexual situations. **

* * *

**Dinner at Onodera's**

**By Tentai.t**

**December 18, 2013**

It was Tuesday, December 24, the last day of hell week, the crunch at the end of the year.

The editors of the monthly Emerald were exhausted from pulling all-nighters, motivating their hardworking mangakas, dealing with impatient printers, applying typesets, adjusting toner sheets, stewing in their own stench, overdosing on coffee and pastries…

They had worked even throughout the weekend, coming in all day Saturday and half the day on Sunday. Surely this violated labor laws, but it couldn't be avoided because missing the early deadline this time would set back the production of their next magazine for the two weeks that the printers would be on vacation.

Takano Masamune, 29 years of age today, was looking just as pissed off as ever as he sat sideways, in his chair at the head of their collective desks, one foot on his knee, his elbow resting on the tabletop, just waiting for the last manuscript to come in before the 4:00 pm deadline. It was 3:25.

_God, I'm tired. _

Not only that, but the biting cold of December had brought chapped cheeks and even chappier lips. The pinkish blush on Onodera's cheeks and his redder than normal lips had teased Takano throughout this week of hell. It drove him crazy with want every time he watched Onodera bust out his pink tube of lip balm.

_Ugh._

Sighing, with his jaw resting in his palm, fingers curled in and knuckles scrunched against his lips, the editor-in-chief raised his eyes to take another long, hard look at his Ritsu who was busy conversing on the phone with a mangaka. Takano's eyes narrowed at the sight of the sweet tip of his lover's tongue as it darted out to lick at the corner of his mouth: an unconscious habit of Ritsu's while listening to the person speak on the other end of the line.

_He needs to learn to keep his tongue in his mouth when he works. _

His jaw clenching, Takano closed his eyes to shield himself from the sight, but still visions of Onodera and that tempting tongue of his danced in his mind's eye. There he saw Ritsu, frantically typing away on his computer, with his pink tongue resting on the left corner of his mouth; Ritsu crouched at his table cutting toner and text, biting the tip of that sweet, slick muscle as he made careful cuts on the sheets; Ritsu staring at the half-accomplished proposal sheet in front of him, worrying at the tip of this pen as he thought of what to write next.

_This guy does NOT know what he does to me._

It had been a few weeks since their fateful spaghetti dinner at his apartment and learning to restrain himself in Ritsu's presence had certainly brought its rewards. Not only was the man more receptive to his advances, in private of course, but was he was also willing to initiate his own affections, small as they were: a small graze of his hand, a chaste peck good night. Not only that, but now quiet nights often found them in one or the other's apartment, Takano teaching him some cooking techniques, even simply sitting together on the floor, conversing normally as any two friends would. And within the privacy of either of their apartments, on lucky nights, after dinner together or just working side by side, they would make hot, sweet love.

_Yes, things certainly have progressed in our relationship, however convoluted it has been._

Takano licked his own lips at the memory of their breakthrough dinner date.

_That night, has got to be, hands down, the best sex we'd ever had… Well, save for the first time in my bedroom… Wait… no, the time in the library… But then there was also that day when we did it on the teacher's table... Arrghh! Why am I torturing myself with these thoughts!_

_I'm hard, he's just sitting there, and there's nothing I can do about it. _

_This is all his fault. _

This past week, they both had been so busy with their own work, spending long hours at the office and only having time to take a quick cat nap and a shower at home. Takano wondered how he had ever lived before, not getting a regular a dose of Ritsu's body. During this week, when they hadn't been able to be together, he'd missed their lovemaking.

A very tired Takano Masamune knew his pervy musings would currently get him up nowhere. Sitting up straighter and opening his legs wider, he shifted in his seat and pulled his chair in, to hide the evidence of his desire. However, he still held his stare across the tables at Onodera, the cause of his distress, his eyes watching Ritsu like a hawk, an unconscious leer marring his features.

_Well at least we've been able to keep communicating… Sort of._

The past week had also brought a flurry of cryptic text messages.

**Wednesday Text:**

Onodera: _What's your favorite fruit? Cherry, raspberry, or strawberry? _

Takano: _Strawberry._

Onodera: : )

**Thursday Text:**

Onodera: _What kind of music do you like to listen to? Indie? Jazz? Classical?_

Takano: _Depends on the mood. What is this about?_

Onodera: _Nothing, just trying to learn more about you._

Takano: _Jazz… I guess._

Onodera: : )

**Friday Text:**

Onodera: _Chicken, pork or beef?_

Takano: _Beef, medium well, with a side of red wine._

Onodera: _Nobody asked you about wine._

Takano: _What? Beef goes well with red. Chicken and Fish with white._

Onodera: _You know too much about food._

Takano: _The better to feed you with. I love you._

Onodera: : )

**Saturday Text:**

Onodera: _So hell week ends on Tuesday._

Takano: _And?_

Onodera: _What are you doing on Tuesday night?_

Takano: _What are YOU doing Tuesday night?_

Onodera: _I asked you first._

Takano: _Don't know. Maybe another lonely night in my bed, or not, depending on how willing my bed partner's going to be. You offering?_

Onodera: _Keep 7 open._

Takano: : D

Takano found it hard to stifle his grin at the memory of their last exchange: that last text got him 50 shades excited.

He'd expected to get another text from Onodera, and when he hadn't, he'd sulked all throughout Sunday and Monday.

_Like a goddamned high school girl!_

At his desk, Takano sighed again. _I've been working in shoujo too long._

Not only had Ritsu not texted, but he'd successfully avoided him all afternoon on Sunday; nowhere to be found after work and left his texts or calls asking "where the hell he was" unanswered. Monday, Ritsu easily dodged being left alone with him in the elevator or the lounge.

It had felt like the old days and if Takano hadn't been so busy himself he would have pursued his lover more tenaciously to find out what the hell was going on. Today, however, while he waited for the last manuscript, he watched his prey, sitting in his chair, _pretending_ to be busy. Onodera was the forbidden feast laid out before this starving man. Golden eyes watched hungrily as Ritsu applied more of that blasted, god forsaken, strawberry lip balm from that ridiculous (and yet fucking sexy) pink tube.

At this point, the old Takano would've risen, stormed over and seized Ritsu, thrown the younger man over his shoulder and carried him into one of the Janitor's closets. There, he would have taken his sweet time tasting those strawberry lips and fucked Ritsu senseless until he was writhing in ecstasy in his arms, screaming out his name. But his mantra as of late was: 'Good things come to those who wait.' This was what had kept Takano contained this past week. After all they had been through and where they were now, Takano in no way wanted to fuck things up again and so he had done his damnedest, waiting impatiently for whatever tonight at seven pm would bring.

Adjusting his hard on under his desk, Takano shook his dark head and sighed again.

_He does NOT know what he does to me-_

"Takano-san! I have the last manuscript!" Hatori, rushed in disheveled, having just arrived from his mangaka's apartment, and hurriedly passed it over.

Takano broke from his reverie, glad for the distraction and made a quick once through the pages. "The typeset is in?"

"Yes."

"Triple checked?"

"Yes."

Takano rifled through the pages once more, satisfied with the manuscript. "Yoshikawa-sensei once again doesn't disappoint." He turned to Ritsu. "Onodera! Get this to the printers pronto and just head on home after. Everyone else can go home. Thank you for your hard work."

Standing up, Ritsu took the brown envelope that held the manuscript. Upon hearing the murmured, "Be careful," he gladly grabbed the opportunity for escape that Takano-san had unwittingly provided. Clad in his coat, scarf and gathering the rest of his stuff, he quickly headed off to the elevator.

* * *

Once in the privacy of the closed car, Ritsu sighed in relief. He swiped at the pink lip balm that smeared his lips with the back of his hand, leaving behind an awkward smile on his lips.

_Heaven help me if I look like a girl outside of the office. _

His ruse with the lip balm to tease his lover during the past week was mean. Surreptitiously watching the man squirm and stare at him was agony as he laid his plan into action. Adding to this, he'd purposely avoided Takano-san while at home, withholding affection, testing his old senpai's new-restraint as well as his sanity.

_I. Am. Going. To knock his socks off._

This whole week had been torturous for Ritsu, too: trying to find ways to avoid Takano-san, knowing for sure that if the man had been more pursuant in his advances, he would have melted in his resolve.

Ritsu still didn't know when he had allowed it to happen, but once he had decided on it, his mind had become clear as day.

_I love him. There's no doubt about it._

He'd gotten the idea one day, to serve Takano dinner on his birthday, a few weeks into their private cooking lessons. Having gained confidence in his menial skill, Ritsu knew that this was something that he could pull off. He'd been bolstered in this idea by an unlikely source: while looking at manga for research purposes at the bookstore not long ago, when he'd happened upon a cookbook. His cheeks grew hot as he recalled its embarrassing title, '_The Newly Wed Cookbook: Fast, Fresh, Easy Meals for Two'_.

Following his collapse that day at the end of work several weeks back, Takano had been adamant to spend a meal a day with him. But since that night of making spaghetti together, Takano had shown Ritsu a more restrained side of himself. Gone were the maniacal gropings, the forceful kisses and the pushing-pulling here and there. Ritsu's blush deepened as he realized that really, he wouldn't have minded such things now.

_Not as long as we were in private, anyways…_

Still this change in Takano had been a welcome one, one that had finally broken down whatever remained of the walls that Ritsu had so carefully constructed around his heart all those many years. Remembering all their many recent quiet nights they'd spent working side by side, the patient cooking lessons, the talks during the train rides to and from home, the passionate love that they'd made; Ritsu knew he couldn't help becoming closer to Takano more than anybody else. Masamune was quickly becoming his everything, even though he was still the tyrant boss everyone feared and yet respected.

_And tonight…_

Takano Masamune, tyrannical editor, and renewed love of Onodera Ritsu's life, was going to get the birthday party he'd missed all those years back. It was time to end this poor man's torture.

Pressing the down button for the elevator, Ritsu pulled out his phone.

Onodera: Takano-san, the pleasure of your company is requested tonight, seven pm at apartment 1202. Dinner will be served.

And with another smile and a new blush, Ritsu rushed out to the printers.

* * *

**I hope y'all were good this year. Santa's a-comin'… so leave him some review cookies, yeah?**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! Good morning! Santa came by and dropped off a chapter under the tree.

Cerberus-Sensei, I'd send you a slice of birthday cake if I could. Thank you, thank you, thank you again.

Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi and its characters are property of Nakamura Shungiku.

Rated M for profanity and adult/sexual situations.

* * *

Chapter 2

It was 6:45 and with a light jazz tune playing softly in the background, Ritsu was just doing the finishing touches on the birthday cake that he made by himself.

The table was set, there was fresh grated wasabi and soy sauce ready. Served with balsamic vinaigrette on the side, already sitting in bowls, chilling in the fridge were portions of salad made with iceberg lettuce, mandarin orange slices, crispy chow mein noodles, and sliced almonds. The sesame seasoned rib eye steak was resting under the foil along with seared spears of asparagus. The rice was fluffed in the cooker and the miso soup set to warm, ready to be dished out in bowls on the counter.

_Squeeze and pull, squeeze and pull_, Ritsu muttered to himself as he piped the shell design around the side of the cake.

_It's not so bad once you get the hang of it._ Ritsu blushed at the erotic parallels of his icing action and this response.

_Damn, hell week had been long… _

Banishing his own pervy musings (or at least trying to), Onodera basked in a sense of accomplishment at the cake that sat before him.

It was a 6-inch, two-layer angel food sponge cake that he had baked the night before and kept in a store tight container. Now sitting on a plate, he'd frosted it with the special ready-made whipped cream from a nearby patisserie and filled it with sliced strawberries. All he had to do now was pipe the 6 big rosettes and sit the chocolate covered strawberries atop them.

Ritsu grabbed at his bangs in between piping the rosettes, each one making him nervous because they had to be perfect. Grinning widely, he took a deep breath as the last strawberry was placed. When the doorbell rang at exactly 7, he hurriedly put the cake into the fridge and took off the apron that he'd been wearing before he rushed to the genkan.

_It's a good thing I showered while the steak was marinating. _

Grasping his hair, he took another deep breath and opened the door.

There stood Takano, looking dashing in a navy blue dress shirt and black slacks, smelling like he'd just come out of the shower. "Good evening,"Takano said at the door, a shocked, slow smile gracing his face.

Ritsu just smiled and waved him in. "So formal, Takano-san," Ritsu chided. "Come in, come in. You look like you were able to take a nap."

Not being able to remove his eyes from Ritsu's face, Takano took his shoes off and toed them to neatly line them with Ritsu's. "I did. The last meeting I had was canceled so I was able to make it home not long after you left. It smells great in here."

"Thanks. I hope you're hungry. Go ahead and sit on the couch while I finish setting up."

Takano instead followed him, heading over to the kitchen. "No. I'd like to help."

Ritsu was already pulling out the salads from the fridge and setting them on top of the table. "You can dish the rice then. Oh, and the miso soup. The bowls are already set out."

Blushing, Ritsu made a display of unveiling the steak. After taking a knife from a drawer, he peeled back the foil and revealed the medium-well beef. Allowing it to rest under the foil maintained its moisture. Angling his knife at 45 degrees, he sliced it against the grain then arranged the slices on the service plates. The asparagus spears were sliced on the diagonal and set atop the slices of meat. Grabbing the small jar of black roasted sesame seeds, he sprinkled a few on top of the steak as garnish.

Done with the rice and soup bowls, and not knowing what else to do with himself, Takano moved close and behind Ritsu and hung his dark head over his lover's shoulder. "Wow! You did all this? That looks amazing!"

Ritsu rolled his eyes. "Well, it is your birthday, you know."

Takano's eyes grew wide, surprised that he'd even remembered; they'd been both so busy this week. He reached for Ritsu's shoulders and turned him around to look at him. He raised a finger to tip his chin up. "Ritsu…" Golden eyes searched the face before him. All Ritsu's nervous pulling of his hair had left it arranged in a style much like he'd worn it when they were in high school. Slowly lowering his head, Takano gave his kouhai the sweetest kiss, as his arms encircled his waist.

_Mmm… strawberry. I've been dying to do that all day…_

Ritsu closed his eyes as his hands reached up to steady himself on Takano's broad shoulders. He leaned into the kiss, his head just tipping slightly to the side, deepening it. But as he felt Takano's arms hold him tighter, he broke free, clearing his throat and patting the birthday boy on the chest. "We'd better start eating, you know. The food's going to get cold."

Despite the fact that both obviously were hungering for more than food this evening, Ritsu and Takano managed to get the meal shifted and settled at the table. After they said their usual blessing, Ritsu drizzled the salad with the vinaigrette while he waited anxiously for Takano take his first bite.

Picking up a slice of steak with his chopsticks, Takano dipped it into the wasabi-soy mixture. He put it in his mouth and closed his eyes. "Wow." Breathing in as he started chewing, he repeated himself. "_Wooow_. You did this all by yourself?"

Pinking at the compliment, Ritsu admitted shyly, "I practiced all weekend."

"Ritsu, no one's ever done this for me. _You've_ never done this for me." Takano stared again, fighting the urge to just stand up and twirl Ritsu around with how happy this made him. "Thank you for my birthday present. I thought you had forgotten."

"Oh, I could never forget that it was today." Ritsu shook his head, digging into his meal himself. "And," he added quietly, "this is not your birthday present."

Across the table Takano's eyes widened with surprise. "There's more?"

"Oh, I forgot the _'wine'_." Hastily changing the subject, Ritsu stood up and darted into the kitchen where he opened the fridge. He returned to the table a moment later with one hand holding a bottle by its long neck and resting the body in his other palm. He presented the bottle of sparkling grape juice to Takano with a stately bow. "Your wine, sir."

Laughing, Takano took the bottle from him and opened it, making great fanfare of pouring it into their wine glasses. They were both so tired from work that there was no way that they could possibly stay awake after dinner if they'd indulged in real alcohol.

Once the glasses were filled, Ritsu settled again and both men fell to eating. The salad was a mixed combination of nutty crunch, sweet and the sour, complementing the crisp lettuce with these bursts of flavors. It was, Takano quickly decided, his new favorite salad.

After taking a few more bites of the greens however, Takano couldn't help but go back to the amazing steak Ritsu had prepared. "Ritsu, this is really good. How'd you make it?"

Swallowing, pleased that Takano liked the meal enough to ask how it was done, Ritsu answered. "I marinated the steak, which has to be room temperature by the way, with garlic powder, pepper and soy sauce.

"I let that sit for a while before drizzling it with sesame oil. The cookbook I got the recipe from said that the oil seals in the juices, but you have to put it on a little bit later after the soy sauce has set in, otherwise the soy sauce won't be absorbed by the steak.

"Then I seared it on a smoking cast iron skillet along with the asparagus for three minutes on one side, flipped it, then stuck it in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes."

"Impressive. Sounding like a real chef there." A proud smile hung on Takano's lips.

"I have a great teacher," Ritsu offered a soft smile back after taking a sip of his soup. "The cookbook was really funny. It said, _'Don't poke the meat while it's searing. It's already dead.'_ or something like that…"

"Can I borrow it? I want to read it."

Embarrassed at the implication of the title of the cookbook alone, Ritsu frowned. "I think the chef is allowed to keep a few secrets."

"Brat."

Both men smiled at this increasingly familiar form of intimate banter. They continued with their dinner laughing at the hell that they lived this past week. They quipped back and forth about the stupid things that went wrong. Takano forwarded that his aim at Ritsu's head when the younger man fell asleep at his desk, was getting better with all the practice targets Ritsu had given him lately. Ritsu responded threatening that he might have to retaliate when his _oh-so-scary-Mr.-Editor-in-Chief_ wasn't looking.

He went on to complain that he didn't understand why they couldn't get paid on occasion for sleeping at the office when they both worked for the company for free so much when they were at home. Together they both agreed that coffee needed to be a free commodity at work, editors should get bonuses for every additional printing, and that if the printers were going to be on vacation, so should they.

Takano simply stared in awe of the man before him who was completely unaware of the effect his mere presence had on him. It was the fantasy that he'd had during his darker times come true: his Ritsu sitting across from him, laughing, talking and enjoying a meal with him. He could feel a bubble of happiness in his chest expand and envelope him, keeping him together, warming his heart.

Unable to stop himself, he reached across the table for Ritsu's hand, making him pause midsentence.

Looking down at their hands on the table, then into his senpai's golden gaze inquisitively, "Takano-san?"

Noticing the change in the expression in Takano's eyes, Ritsu saw reflected there all the things that they'dbeen through together and how far they'd come.

"Ritsu…thank you." Takano's voice was husky with emotion.

Ritsu drew in a shuddering breath, realizing the enormity of the moment between them. Staring back at the amber eyes, searching his own, he gave Takano's hand a squeeze back, and said solemnly, "Thank _you_ for teaching me how to cook."

Takano looked down and softly whispered, "I want to hold you."

Ritsu lowered his lashes, bit his lower lip and whispered back, "Not until after dessert."

* * *

The couple finished their dinner, then they did the very domestic task of cleaning up. Takano appointed himself washer as Ritsu rinsed, the older, playfully bumping his hip against the other. "Move. You're hogging the sink."

Ritsu flicked water at his face in retaliation while feigning an "a-choo!"

With the dishes dry and put away, Ritsu hung his apron up again and Takano his dish cloth. Now there was nothing left but the cake.

"Go to the bedroom and wait for me, I have something to give you in there." Ritsu said. "Close your eyes, ok."

_Tha-dump… tha-dump… tha-dump…_

Following orders like a docile child, Takano walked to the room and sat with this legs crossed on the bed, his back resting on the headboard. His face deliberately masked the feelings in his chest while his heart beat rapidly, excited not knowing what to expect. Even so, he hoped it was what he'd been wanting all week. Closing his eyes, Takano carefully sought to control his breathing.

He heard Ritsu enter the room, and a smile lifted his lips. Following the sound, his face turned to where Ritsu finally stood by the bed.

"Now. Open," he heard Ritsu say. When they did, Takano was awestruck.

Ritsu was holding a birthday cake—_his_ birthday cake, with 6 chocolate covered strawberries and a seventh one cut up in quarters affixed in the center facing outward. In the middle, a tall lone candle flickered.

"Happy 29th birthday, Takano-san."

Takano was overwhelmed. He hadn't had anyone make a fuss over his birthday since he was about six years old. And the fact that it was Ritsu, his Ritsu, taking the trouble to do something like this…

"You made this? For me?"

"Yes."

Takano could see beyond Ritsu's simple answer: the expression on the face before him was so like the one he'd first fallen for in high school: open, hesitant, hopeful. He swallowed back the lump in his throat. "Ritsu, I want to kiss you."

"Not until after you make a wish and blow out the candle." Ritsu tried to make his voice stern as he sat down close to Takano on the bed, positioning the cake in front of him.

"Will you sing for me?"

"Uh… No. Hurry up your candle's melting."

"Thank you for my present," Takano murmured solemnly.

"This isn't your present," Ritsu whispered back.

Looking into Ritsu's glowing emerald eyes, Takano paused to make a wish. After blowing out the candle, he took the cake from his lover's hands, and gingerly set the cake beside the two forks already there on the bedside table, then suddenly he reached out to wrap his arms around his Ritsu.

Ritsu, on the other hand, was not having it.

"Wait," trying to escape the bear hug, he strained to reach the forks beside the cake. "Aren't you going to try your birthday cake, Takano-san?"

Capturing his chin within his fingers, Takano turned him to look earnestly in his eyes, his voice low as he growled, "I'm not hungry for cake."

* * *

**Merry Christmas, everybody! (Yes, you too my silent reader. You too.) Let it be known that no cake was wasted in the making of this fic. See you all tomorrow at the party.**


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner at Onodera's by Tentai.t 9

**Hi. So, how did you all do this past Christmas? I must have been good because Santa was friggin' **_**AWESOME**_**!**

**As a birthday gift to this one chick, CAT, here's your lemon. Happy 15****th**** anniversary of your 21****st**** birthday. **

**Cerberus, have you cleared your browsing history yet?**

**Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi and its hot and super uber dooper sexy characters are all property of Nakamura Shungiku.**

**Rated M for profanity and adult/sexual situations.**

* * *

Ch 3

Takano's lips seized Ritsu's in a hungry, almost desperate kiss, his need spilled over with every flicker of his tongue against the velvety moisture it sought. His fingers tangled in chestnut hair, pushing their faces as close as they could get. Hearing Ritsu's low moan took Takano's breath away as his other arm pulled his lover closer to his chest, forcing him to kneel in front of his crossed legs.

Placing his palms on either side of Takano's jaw, Ritsu tipped his senpai's head up as he leaned into his kiss. Not wanting to let go, he straddled him, sitting on his lap, as he wrapped his arms around Takano's broad shoulders.

Breathless, Ritsu broke free to kiss his cheek then toward his ear to lick its edge. "I missed you," he whispered, his shuddering breaths tickled Takano's ear.

These words, as much as the touch, forced more hot blood into Takano's nether region. He turned his head, his lips grazing the curve of Ritsu's jaw, lowering itself into the dip in his pulse point. Opening his mouth, Takano licked at the flesh here and sucked hard.

"Takano-san. You'll leave a mark. We have work tomorrow," Ritsu whimpered.

"You have turtlenecks." Takano growled back, pulling the hem of his shirt out of his pants. Fingers sought buttons as Takano's tongue followed, leaving a fiery trail down Ritsu's neck. He stopped at a pectoral to bite softly at the skin. Ritsu, finally free from his garment, arched his back into the arm embracing him.

Fingertips caught a tight nub and twisted it between them as a hot tongue flicked at the other. Takano trapped it within his front teeth to suckle it, causing Ritsu a hissed intake of breath as he held his head tighter to his chest.

Fingers buried in raven hair, Ritsu massaged circles on his scalp as he kissed Takano's crown and his hips ground their erections.

Reaching for a strawberry, Ritsu kept a firm hold of Takano's hair as he twisted his chest away from frantic lips. Rocking his hips against Takano's hardness, he leveled their faces as he lifted the fruit to his own open mouth, his tongue darting out to sweep the cream off the bottom, his eyes never leaving his senpai's. He then offered it to Takano's waiting mouth. As he bit into the succulent berry, Ritsu licked at the juice that trickled down Takano's jaw, tasting the tart and sweet before finally joining their lips. He carelessly threw whatever was left of the strawberry to the floor beside the bed and started to work on the shirt buttons before him.

Takano lifted up from the headboard, his hands pulling at the hem of his own shirt. His fingers joined Ritsu's and in his impatience, ripped at the plackets, carelessly sending the buttons flying across the bed. He hastily took it off, gathered it into a wad and threw it across the bed.

Ritsu pushed Takano back onto the headboard as his other hand reached for another strawberry. Dangling it into his mouth, he sucked off the cream, once more warming the chocolate in his mouth. Then he laid the fruit on Takano's collarbone, slowly dragging it down the length of his chest, his gaze never wavering. He bit off the chocolate covered bottom then leant down to lap at the trail of melted chocolate that he'd made.

"Ritsu…" Takano moaned as he arched his chest and neck, his head digging into the headboard.

Flicking the rest of the strawberry aside, Ritsu grasped Takano's nape, his other hand holding on to the top of the headboard for support as he bowed his head into the crook of his neck, suckling on the salt of Takano's skin, the taste melding with the sweetness of the fruit.

"Takano-san, I want to taste you."

Taken aback by the fact that Ritsu's never done this for him, Takano pushed them both up to look deep into heavy lidded eyes.

"Me first."

Takano quickly worked to undo the button of Ritsu's pants before his kouhai could protest. One hand lifted Ritsu up to a kneel as the other pulled the zipper down. Both hands grasped each side of the waist band and forced it down along with his briefs, releasing Ritsu manhood for his waiting mouth. Taking his length in, Takano sucked hard.

Ritsu's shoulders shot up as his straight arms held on to Takano's shoulders. He gritted his teeth and a hiss escaped him as his head cocked to the side, his eyes clenched shut, his vision exploding into whiteness.

"Takano- san! Wait! I'm supposed to do this for you!" Ritsu cried out desperately, senses returning as he tried to escape his lover's skilled mouth.

Takano stopped only briefly enough to answer, "It's _my_ birthday. I can do whatever the hell I want."

Takano sucked and bobbed his head onto Ritsu's crotch, his fingers gripping Ritsu's ass cheeks tight, relishing in the slight jerking that the younger man uncontrollably did in time with his mouth.

"Takano-san, you're going to make me cum!"

Takano released his mouth, his hand replacing his movements. "Then cum. We have all night."

"We have work tomorrow!"

"And I'm the boss."

Ritsu slowly tipped his head back, the sensation of the familiar, beautiful coil deep in his belly tensing up. The blood coursing through his ears made him deaf to the outside world, his pent up need this past week, ready to blow through him. Opening his mouth in a futile effort to breathe in, "Auuuughh!" Ritsu slowly groaned out, his seed shooting into Takano's waiting mouth.

Takano took the sensitive head back in and sucked whatever else was left before swallowing the milky fluid.

Extremely peeved at his foiled attempt to pleasure Takano, Ritsu exclaimed, "Fuck! Now I'm tired. I'm fucking going to bed." His hands released their grip on Takano's shoulders and he slumped down at the base of the headboard, his head resting on the crook of his arm. He panted trying to catch his breath.

"Tsk, such a potty mouth. You know I'm just going to wake you back up." Reaching into the bedside drawer, Takano fished for the bottle of lube. He noted with some surprise that it wasn't the usual brand… it was strawberry flavored. Raising his eyebrows, he looked at Ritsu.

Still panting, Ritsu growled. "Well, there goes your present. Couldn't wait for it, could you?"

"I still want it!" Takano exclaimed, hurriedly grabbing his pants and started to shimmy them down off his hips.

Onodera forced himself back up into a seated position. "Says the man who got a nap earlier."

"Don't think that I don't remember that you squeezed a nap at your desk today."

Ritsu couldn't help but smile slyly. "Noticed that did you?"

"I just couldn't help myself. I was watching you every chance I got all day. You were driving me fucking crazy with that tongue of yours."

"Heh, you liked that didn't you…" Ritsu leaned forward to meet his editorial observer; his tongue darted out to lick Takano's lower lip. Moving lower still, he mouthed the angular jaw, the bump of Takano's Adam's apple, then grazed his teeth along a sleek collarbone.

"This whole fucking week, you and your fucking lip balm!" Takano closed his eyes in bliss and shook his head with a smirk.

"Look who's got the potty mouth now." Ritsu dove for a taut rosy nipple and gave a sharp suck.

"Fuck!"

Ritsu released it, pressing his tongue to the center as his fingers toyed with the other one.

He felt Takano squirming beneath him, trying to kick his pants and boxers off. Slipping away from him, Ritsu moved to help him get his pants off. He grabbed and raised Takano's trouser-trapped legs high and pulled the offending clothes off as he set bare legs on his shoulders. Then he ran his palms up the hairy calves and higher still to caress inside muscular thighs, pushing them apart to settle between them.

"Shit, Ritsu. Are you doing what I think you're going to do?" Takano whispered.

"It depends. Have you been good this year, Takano-san?" Ritsu said coyly as he nuzzled the inside of one thigh, working his way up to the side of Takano's sac. He inhaled deeply, smelling of fresh soap and not disliking the faint musky scent.

Takano had a faint tremble in his voice, as he fended off a shiver from the brush of warm lips against his starved skin. "Are you sure, Ritsu? I mean, you've never done it for me before,"

In answer, Ritsu reached out swiping some cream off the cake with one hand as his other hand took Takano's erection, standing it upright to lay the dollop on its head.

"I'm sure."

He lowered his head. Starting at the bottom of his sac, Ritsu slowly laved a path up the center of Takano's balls, higher along the twitching veined shaft and leisurely licked the cream off the smooth shiny head.

Takano watched wide eyed, captivated by this milestone, his mouth agape as he breathed heavily through his mouth.

Ritsu reached for the strawberry lube, put some in his palm and squeezed some more in Takano's belly button, the little bit of it overflowing to his sides, before putting it aside. He took hold of his senpai's erection again, slicking it from its head down to the base if his shaft.

"Ritsu…" Takano breathed, his hand tangled in Ritsu's hair to guide him back to his waiting cock.

Without hesitation, Ritsu opened his mouth, stuck his tongue out and licked at the slit tasting Takano's precum and its bitter saltiness. He looked up and blushed seeing the tension in Takano's eyes.

"It's not bad," he said with a shy smile. Closing his lips over the head, he took it in by sucking, his tongue slipping under the sensitive frenulum, teasing it before he lowered his mouth as far as it would go.

Takano was beside himself with the sensation and the fact that this was his Ritsu.

"Fuck! Oh god!"

Ritsu let his teeth graze his shaft as he pulled him out of his mouth.

"Aahh! Not so hard, love."

"Sorry." Ritsu blushed, trying hard not to show his disappointment at not doing it better. Takano caught his chin in his hand and smiled down encouragingly.

"Just like manga, immersion is the best way to learn, right?"

Takano's playful tone soothed Ritsu's stinging pride and after a nervous smile back, he lowered his head and took up Takano's cock again.

"Wrap your lips around your teeth… like… thaaat. Mmmhh…" Takano's fingers grasped the bed sheets, trying to keep his hands off of Ritsu's head for fear of not being able to control himself. "Aaaaahhhh."

Keeping his eyes closed, Ritsu could only listen to the enraptured breathing coming from his lover's mouth. He quickened his pace, his hand tightening on Takano's shaft as he pumped it in sync with his mouth.

"Ritsu! Stop!" Takano was trying desperately to steady his breath. "I want to make my birthday present last a little longer." He blindly grabbed for Onodera's chin hoping to still his mouth. "You feel so good, but I don't want to come yet.

Not heeding Takano's words or the fingers at his chin, Ritsu continued his motions. _Who's the boss now, Takano-san?_

He dipped his middle finger in Takano's belly button which held the lube and twisted his finger around to moisten his knuckles too, then he reached down to press it into Takano's pucker, slicking the hole before slowly burying his finger in.

"Ahhhh!" Takano cried in surprise, his arms reached up to hold on to the rungs of the headboard.

Ritsu slipped his mouth off Takano, dripping cock. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just warn a man when you're gonna do that."

Ritsu snorted. "You don't."

"Point taken." Takano chuckled, still trying to catch his breath. "Well, are you going to just keep your finger in my ass all night here, or what?"

Ritsu's smiled at the tense jibe before his face took on a studious expression. "Tell me if I've got it."

Ritsu smoothly pushed his finger in further, curving it upwards, searching for that chestnut sized bump that could bring a man to his knees. Finally locating it, he stroked it gently and he heard Takano gasp.

Satisfied, he took hold of Takano's waning erection, bringing it back to life with his mouth and his strokes.

Ritsu opened his eyes a few moments later to peer at the writhing man beneath him. Takano still held on to the rungs of the headboard, his neck arched to the side, his teeth biting hard on his bottom lip in a grimace. His muscular arms bunched in his exertion and his chest glistened in the dim light of the bedside lamp, heaving with every breath he took, the exhales exposing his toned abdominal and pectoral muscles. The flesh of his thighs and buttocks clenched with every brush to his prostate, making him jut his hips ever so slightly into Ritsu's eager mouth.

Suddenly Takano reached down to grasp his hand, "Ritsu, I'm coming!" And just like that the dam burst as he let out a guttural cry, his hips hitching up beyond his control.

Ritsu swallowed as fast as he could, hoping not to choke on his seed and the newness of a taste that would take some getting used to. Drinking in everything, he could feel the back of his throat tingle.

Ritsu released Takano with a pop. "You know, this still wasn't your birthday present."

"Oh yeah?" Takano smiled before he'd even opened his post sex heavy eyes. He released the headboard from his iron grip, biting his lower lip as he tried to control his breathing.

"Uhmm… Not even close…"

"Well it's going to have to be one hell of a present to top that!" Amber eyes shifted suddenly from sleepy to sly. "I could get used to this, you know."

"That could be arranged."

"Come here."

Still breathless but unable to stop smiling, Takano pulled Ritsu upwards by his arms to catch his lips with his. He flitted is tongue inside a willing mouth, tasting traces of cum and the strawberry lube still lingering there.

"Ritsu, I love you." Takano's eyes glowed with all the happiness he felt. But seeing the grave expression on Ritsu's face, his smile faltered and his brows knit into a worried frown. He lifted his palm to cup his kouhai's cheek, "Ritsu, what's the matter?"

Ritsu, closed his eyes and bumped their foreheads softly together. Remembering the words Takano had told him long before, when he'd asked him to go steady, he took a deep breath and braced himself before he declared, for the first time, the words that he knew the other one wanted to hear the most:

"Takano-san," he whispered, "you've told me time and again that you'd wait for me, for my feelings to catch up to yours." He paused, willing the courage to say the rest of it, "This relationship that we have, and our past too… It's not just weird, but also seems so wrong. But being with you… I've given up fighting how I'm supposed to feel… and I've accepted how I've always and truly felt about you."

Placing his hands on both sides of Takano's face, he pulled back to look into his first and only true love's golden eyes, "Takano-san," Ritsu whispered, "I love you."

Shock… relief… and then utter joy danced on Takano's face as he realized just what Ritsu had said to him. He seized Ritsu up in a crushing embrace him in his arms and kissed him with all the love he felt in his heart. Then he released his lips and started to laugh, cradling him from side to side. He couldn't stop the outburst of emotion, "Ritsu, I love you! I love you…" and bent his head once more to capture his lips.

"Takano-san." Ritsu laughed as well, "Takano-san!"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want your gift?"

Nervous and excited at the same time, Takano nodded his head.

Ritsu reached over to the bedside table and opened the drawer. He fished in deeper, finally drawing out a black velvet jewelry box and presented it with a new blush and a solemn, slightly apprehensive expression.

Takano, looked back and forth between Ritsu and the box, his hand trembled lightly as he took it in his palm. Carefully opening it, his eyes widened when he saw what it was. It was a key adorned with a red ribbon and a leather keychain attached to it. On the key chain was embossed: 1202.

Ritsu rushed in before Takano could say anything. "Now, I'm not asking you to live with me, Takano-san, just be…" he stumbled with his words, "my… boyfriend…"

To which Takano, with his smiling eyes, bit his lip and replied, "You do realize that because I now that I own this key, I can stay here however the hell long I want to?"

"What?! I didn't say that. Weren't you just listening to a word that I said?!"

It was at that moment that one Onodera Ritsu was glomped onto the bed and kissed all over, trying to say between kisses, "You're… an… ass… Already… I'm… …regretting…telling…you that… I Love you."

Takano lifted his head, his expression fierce. "No, you aren't."

Ritsu smiled back. "No, I 'm not."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Later… much later (and a more than half 'eaten' birthday cake into that night), Ritsu turned over to Takano in the dark and whispered, "How in hell are we going to be able to go to work in the morning?"

"We don't. I told everyone that we could come to work at one, do a little paperwork, then head off for drinks after you left."

"And when were you going to tell me this?"

"I'm telling you now."

Stifling his irritation at his boss' highhanded attitude Ritsu fired back, "And by the way, you can't smoke in my apartment."

"I vow to quit smoking tomorrow," Takano solemnly replied.

"Whatever, liar."

"Oh, did I say quit? I vow to _try_ and smoke _less_ than I already do… Starting tomorrow."

Quoting famous words, Ritsu burst out with his perfect Takano impersonation. "What kind of a half assed vow is that?!"

The birthday boy paused, gave a little chuckle and growled, "Come here, you little shit!" Takano grabbed his first, last, and only love as he unrelentingly tickled Ritsu breathless.

"Takano saaaaaaaa-!"

**Fin.**

**Love it, flame it, this is the second fic. And please help me thank Cerberus Revised for helping me get this one out because otherwise, it would've just stayed in the laptop. Y'all made me nervous to deliver hot, smexy birthday sex. He made it beautiful, people, so send him a line, 'kay?**

**To my wonderful 7 reviews, you warm this chick's heart… Thank you.**


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